The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1887-10-16
A COWBOY FIREMAN.
A Fire COmpany's Experience With &
Son OF the Plains.

'I'm a reformed cowboy" he said,
land / want job"
"Were you ever connected with the
fire department." asked the chief, to
whom application had been made.
mo, but / reckon a fire engine
doesn't run any Eastern Texas steer
or Colorado cyclone. The buffaloes
are gone, and there's no more men
out on the ranches worth loaded
shell, so I'm going to settle down to
the effete customs of white men in
the states. I've got to take it grad
ual, though, for a man who's lived
where I have can't gallop straight in
to civilized society. have heard
tell of the lively times the fire boys
have, and 1 think I can be tame
enough to be one of you"
The chief rather liked the appear
ance of this American Arab, especial
ly as he was master at horse train
ing, and accordingly the cowboy was
installed as a pipeman on trial.
That night he observed that the
other firemen, when retiring, placed
their clothes by the bedside. ready to
be slipped on at seconds warning.
The cowboy, gathering the idea that
time is everything at fire, deter.
mined to risk no delays. Accordingly
he slept in his clothes, having previ'
ously hung his lasso and pistols on
the harness of the engine horse. In
the dead of night an alarm came in
Before the firemen had slipped into
their boots the cowboy had sprung
from his bed, mounted the horse tC
which he had fixed his working
TOOLS" and was dashing down the
street at a break-neck speed IN the
direction of a column OF smoke and
fame that could be seen rising or
the horizon.
"Hold onl Come backr' shouted
the other firemen. But the son oi
the plains heard them not. He was
on his way to the fire, and was indif-
ferent as to whether the other boys
got there or not. He evidently
thought the engines motive power
was steam, for he left the crew with
only one horse.
The cowboy fireman was personally
ambitious to excel all his new asso.
ciates, but at the same time he was
desirous that his company should gel
first water on the flames. Only a
thin line of spectators was around
the burning tenement when he ar.
rived on the scene.
'Look out for old Texas" he
howled, swirling about through the
people and literally surrounding the
building, so fiercely did be drive his
horse to and fro. In his hand wal
the coiled lasso, and from his bell
the brace of pistols reflected the ligh
from the flashes of flame. Every one
shrank from him as from a band o.
Zulus.
Presently a hose company swung
around ready for action. A nozzle
was pointed toward the flames ant
soon a stream of water would have
poured on the fire. The cowboys
eyes took in the situation. 1t was
an opposition company. His lassC
rose in the air and its Tightening
moose in falling encircled the nozzle
of the hose.
"Time enough for you fellows tC
squirt after our company gets here,
the cowboy said, whipping up his
horse and hauling the hose anC
clinging pipemen after him. Dowr
the street he dragged the hose deter
mined to carry il beyond reach
Horse, hose and rider soon disap'
peared from view of the thunder
struck people.
The flames rolled on.
/ The cowboy, Oh, where was he?
Nine hours later the police found
him. But they didn't take him. Or
his brow was the flush of great
achievements; in his hand the loopeG
lariat. In yard which he had seized
in the name of the government and
"The Boss Fire Company were ;
hundred cattle or morel
The cowboy, in hauling away tht
enemy's hose from the fire, had en-
countered droves of animals which
law-breaking citizens permit to roam
the streets. The ruling passion of ;
cowboy drove out all other thoughts
The tenement burnt to the ground
J but there has not been such job o
corralling since the COW ordinanc,
was passed.-Chicago Tribune